LIBRARY / MEDIA CENTER HANDBOOK
1. LIBRARY USERS
The Library users are:
1.1
Students’ teachers, administrative staff, and students’ parents of the GI School.
1.2 1.2 Students from other schools that establish pacts with the GI School.
They will only have access consultation service in the library. They will identify themselves with
their in force school I.D. cards through a letter or presentation of the library of the school.
2. COLLECTION
The collection of the library is divided into:
2.1 REFERENCE COLLECTION: The reference collection includes dictionaries, encyclopedias,
directories, yearbooks, atlases, and other material of permanent consultation which only
provides reference information, that is, which refer to other documents to get wider
information. The presentation of this material can either be in print or in electronic support.
2.2 GENERAL COLLECTION: It includes all the books and other documents not included in the
reference collection or in the reserved collection.
2.3 RESERVED COLLECTION: It includes the books, publications, serials, CD-ROM, audiovisuals,
etc which contain readings or topics assigned by the teachers in their academic activities which
will be used by a determined group of students, during the time that the teacher estimates it
convenient.
This collection also includes the books whose edition has expired and from which there is only
one copy in the library.
2.4 SPECIAL COLLECTION: It is made up of works that due to their intrinsic characteristics need to
be preserved so they do not get lost or harmed. Characteristics such as difficult commercial
availability, antiquity, unpublished works, institutional documents that are part of the memories
of “GI school” and constitute its patrimonial identity, etc. In this way, the library locates this
collection in special sections. For example, collection of Quindianos writers, history and identity
of GI school.
2.5 COLLECTION OF ACADEMIC WORKS OF BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. It includes
research work, academic and literary production of both the students and teachers that due to
their quality and validity merit being part of the material available to our school community.
2.6 AUDIOVISUAL COLLECTION: made of any kind of document published in audio or visual way:
maps, disks, videos
2.7 MULTIMEDIA COLLECTION: All documents which require an electronic support to access to
the information they contain: CD-ROM.
2.8 CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS ROOM COLLECTION: It includes stories, instructive books,
adapted religious books, adapted classic literature, novels, poetry for children and teenagers,
children and school theater, comics, text that support the academic programs of kindergarten
and primary school.
3. SERVICE PROVIDED
The books will be lending out pursuant the following norms:
3.1 The General collection books will be lent out for fifteen (15) days. Each user can check out
three (3) books maximum. To do this, the user will use His (her) code number assigned in their
school ID to check the books out at the circulation desk. This means books will not be lent out
through a 3rd person. Teachers may have longer time if needed.
3.2 The reserved collection books will only be lent out during the day. They will be consulted in
the consultation room, in the afternoons, from 3:15 to 7:30 a.m. of the following day or the
immediate working day. On Fridays the books of this collection will be lent out from 3:15 p.m.
3.3 The works of the reference collection can only be consulted in the library.
3.4 The works of Special Collection, teachers and student’s works, can only be consulted in the
library.
3.5 The audiovisual material and that of electronic support will have a restricted use. They will
only be consulted inside the “G I School.
3.6 The works that are part of the children and Teenagers room will remain within the norms
above mentioned.
3.7 Preschool students are the only ones who are not allowed to check out books as they cannot
come to the library by their own to return books.
PARAGRAPH: Each loan of the General Collection can be renewed unless there is no a different
pending request of the same work or document from another user. Renewals must be made on
the due date, submitting the document to be renewed.
LIBRARY PROGRAMMING:
Preschool and elementary teachers may have specific hours during the week for library class.
Secondary Teachers, may come to reserve library space when needed. However, if there´s a
special topic the teacher need from the Library Teacher, must be informed at least with one
week in advance in order to do the planning and have all the activity set up.
4. RETURN OF BIBLIOGRAPHIC MATERIAL AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.
4.1 The return of all documental material must be made at the circulation desk. It is assumed
that the material that has been lent out and has not been duly cancelled has not been returned.
4.2 Users must carefully check the material to be borrowed since the last borrower is responsible
of any harm that might have been caused on the material.
4.3 Any book consulted in the library must be left on top of the tables. Under no circumstances,
users will locate them in the bookshelves.
.
5. SYSTEMATIZED CONSULTATIONS ON COMPUTER
5.1 Both teachers and students will have access to the Internet as well as to computerized
consultation of electronic encyclopedia and use of educational software provided by the library.
5.2
For computerized consultation, priority will be given to students.
5.3 To access to the Internet will not require a previous reservation, except during recess.
However, the time for consultation will be limited to 30 minutes maximum.
5.4 Likewise, students and teachers can use the services of Scanner and Printer. There will no
fee for the use of scanner. The following fees will be charged to the printer’s use. It will be
incremented annually.
- Text printing in white background $200.oo
- Graphic printing with color background $1.000.oo
5.5 The Educational software can only be used inside the library. This material will not be taken
to classrooms, offices, or out of the School.
Library Network:
10 workstations plus 2 dedicated OPAC´s (Online Public Access Catalogs) provide students with
access to all library resources. We also provide all the community with electronic access to
information in multimedia encyclopedias, over 3,000 magazines through EbscoHost (with
indexes, full-text and abstracting), newspapers, almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, dictionaries.
Brittannica databases and Follett Resources.
5.6 About DATABASES and/or Online Resources: Every teacher and student in the school has
access to the School Databases and Online resources through User names and Password assigned
for this purpose that the library will provided.
6 SPECIAL NORMS:
6.1 Registration permits, certificates, high school diplomas will not be given to those students
who do not have the “cleared” stamp from the library (Paz y salvo).
6.2 For administrative staff and students’ parents.
Administrative staff and students’ parents will be ruled by the same norms established for the
students, in what refers to books, magazines and documents to be checked out.
6.3 Both teachers and administrative staff must submit the clearance from the library at the end
of each semester or when leaving the school either temporarily or for termination of
employment contract for administrative purposes such as settlement of wages and or social
security benefits.
6.4 The library will attend reference question inquiries via telephone or mail. However, the user
must come in person to sign up and pick up said information or any document. Under no
circumstances, the information will be sent or taken to the offices or classrooms by the library
staff.
6.5 The use of radios, Celphones, and other elements that go against the silence required in the
library is completely prohibited.
6.6 Smoking is categorically prohibited as well as speaking aloud, running and moving chairs
noisily.
6.7 When arriving in the library, all library users must leave their personal belongings (bags,
bookbags, sweaters, school bags, etc) in the shelves or filing cabinets assigned for this purpose
outside the library.
6.8 Eating or drinking will not be permitted inside the library.
6.9 The teacher reservation of the reading room for group work can be made two or three days
before the activity. However, the topic requested must previously be informed to the person in
charge, ideally, eight days before so that a good search can be made, in what refers to quality of
information and quantity of documents.
6.10 In case the reservation must be cancelled by the teacher, it is required to inform to the
library, in order to allow other activities to be made.
6.11 Under no circumstances the students are permitted to be in the library without a teacher or
without a library pass during class hours. In case students are sent to the library with a library
pass, shouldn’t be more than 6 students on their own.
6.12 The reserved time for group consultations must be used profitably, behaving all the time in
accordance with what the library merits.
6.13 The library is a place for studying, consulting and reading. It is the responsibility of each user
to adequately behave, and to keep quiet. In case there is a failure to this rule or noise is caused
by the students, the following steps will be carried out:
-
The teacher accompanying the group will take care of such behavior and will control the
noise in such a way that it will not affect the concentration of the rest of library users.
If the teacher does not detect the misbehavior, the library staff will inform him/her so that
he/she demands the students and reestablishes the adequate order.
If the teacher does not do it, or does not achieve it or, if the students are on their own, the
library staff will have the authority to intervene.
6.14 Preschool students must always remain with the teacher and the teacher assistant. Under
no circumstances the students will be on their own in the library.
7 IPADS, TABLETS AND OTHER DEVICES:
7.1 The library / Media Center, holds a set of 25 IPADS for library use, a set of 37 IPADS for
external lending, a set of 10 Mini IPADS and a set of 6 Tablets for external lending. The use of
electronic devices is subjected to special norms for every level.
For Preschool and Elementary Students: Devices can be used in the Library by the students,
with the supervision of a teacher or an assistant.
Middle and High School Students: are allowed to lend devices during recces time and/or class
hours for in-library use. However, this is subjected to availability.
Teachers will reserve the devices for classroom use or library use at least with one week in
advance as well as the applications that will be needed, either for external or internal use.
Reservations must be made personally by the teacher and sign for the request.
7.2 In case the reservation must be cancelled by the teacher, it is required to inform to the
library, in order to allow other activities to be made.
7.3 It is the entire responsibility of the teacher to pick up at the library and return devices as
soon as the class has finished in order of giving a good service to all the community.
7.4 The request of Applications and/or programs can be made to the librarian by every Tuesday
to be use the following week.
7.5 Neither Teachers nor students are allowed to change settings or download Apps/ programs
without authorization.
7.6 25 Mini laptops are available for student lending in classtime.
8 FAILURES
The following are considered failures to this regulation:

Tardiness when returning documents: Users (students from 6° to 12°) who have overdue
materials must pay a fine of $300.oo per day of delay. Only working days of study will count
for this effect, and after the next day do the due date in the borrower’s card. In addition,
once anything is overdue, the student will lose library check out privileges until the late item
is returned or paid for. If an item is never returned, the student will be charged for the
replacement cost of the item plus the fine. The replacement cost is the actual price of the
document (in US$) multiplied by the ISS exchange rate (which includes shipping and
handling). Teachers are responsible for books, as well. If a book used for classroom work was
lost, the price of the book will be billed back to the section. Lost books which were for
personal use will be charged as explained above.

At the end of the school year, a list of students who have not returned books will be made.
These students will be reported to the Homeroom teacher and to the coordinator of the
respective section and will not receive their school grade report nor will they be able to carry
out their registration process until they receive the clearance from the library.

Likewise, it is considered a failure all those mentioned in the cohabitation manual, in
particular the ones referring to theft, harm to the property of the school or disrespect which
will be reported to the corresponding personnel and penalized pursuant what has been
established in the Cohabitation Manual.
9 SERVICE HOURS:
 The library will be open from Monday to Thursday from 7:00am to 4:00pm. And Fridays
from 7:00am to 3:30pm. For all students, teachers and all community members.